This saying can make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but is it a reality? Can you really do what you love, and love what you do? Yes, of course you can! As long as you find a job you love, that is.

Getting paid for doing what you love is the ultimate dream. One that not many people actually manage to achieve. They get sidetracked or scared because the possibility of it actually coming true is small in comparison to attaining other careers.

If you want to get paid for doing a job that you absolutely love, then this article is definitely for you. The following are some of the ways you can get paid for doing what you love:

1) Find Out What You Love

It’s important to look within yourself when you’re trying to find out what you love. Think about what you do in your spare time for fun. Think of ways you can use those skills and interests to make money. For example, if you enjoy knitting, you may want to sell what you make online or at a craft show in your community.

That way you aren’t just knitting for fun, but you’re doing it to make some money, too.

If you’re looking for something more from your job, you may want to think of careers that have to do with your passions. If you love to paint, look at all of the careers that have to do with painting. For example, you could look into teaching, owning a studio for painters, working at a museum, or selling paintings online or in your community.

Don’t be afraid to come up with a few different options of ways to make money doing what you love. The more you have, the higher the chances you’ll find a way to make money from them.

2) Get the Skills You Need

Some people will know what their passions are, but they lack the skills to translate those passions into a career.

That’s no problem.

You can acquire the skills you need through education or training. Some people will go to school for years to get the knowledge and skills they need for their career, while others will do on-the-job training or attend a specialty school. For some careers, people need both knowledge and training.

An example of seeking education and training is for those who want to be nurses. Most future nurses will have a passion for helping people and an interest in health and well-being. They will go to school to seek a degree in nursing, so they can learn all of the details of being a nurse. They will then work for a hospital, nursing home or other healthcare setting to gain experience.

Through the education and experience, they are able to fulfill their passions and interests by becoming a nurse.

3) Change Your Mindset

Loving what you do and doing what you love can have a lot to do with your mindset. Instead of identifying everything you don’t like about your job, start focusing on aspects that you do like or at least that aren’t so bad. It might be helpful to make a list and add to it throughout the workday.

That will help you see that your job may not be so bad after all. It might then motivate you to take on additional tasks, and those tasks may be more along the lines of what you really enjoy. What does that mean? It means you may love your current job even more.

Another way to change your mindset is to speak to other people about their job. When you hear the reality of what other people are doing, it may make you appreciate what you do. You may just see that your work situation is not as bad as you believe and that you actually have it quite great.

This can lead to you falling in love with your job!

4) Understand What Makes You Happy

You may know your passions and interests and change your mindset, but if you don’t know what makes you happy, you’ll never feel like you love what you do. It’s important to consider components of life that make you tick. Does having a work-life balance matter most for you? Do you need to make a certain amount of money per year? Do you want to work fewer hours?

All of these factors matter to your happiness. You need to consider them or you won’t be in love with your job even if you like what you’re doing.

5) Go After It Until You Get Paid for It

You may need to search high and low to find a way to get paid for what you love. It may mean you have to search online for people who will pay you for your services and products. It may mean that you’ll have to apply to hundreds of places. Whatever it is that you have to do, do it. The only way to get what you want is to try and try and try some more.

Life isn’t easy. You have to fight your way through it. That includes being happy. If you want to be paid for what you love doing, then make that happen. Find out what it is you would love to get paid for, and then come up with a plan on how you will get paid.

When you have the plan, implement it as soon as possible. Be prepared to make adjustments along the way, though, as you work through your plan. But with some focus and dedication, you can get closer to your goal of getting hired or earning money for doing what you love.

Even if this means you end up starting your own business or just freelancing part-time, do your research and follow through with your game plan.

Just remember to be flexible and persistent. Those two attributes will take you far in your quest of loving what you do and doing what you love.